


What's In a Name?

by monogramsalarm



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, also the major character death is bc krav is an Undead Fool, are you ready get sad, cuz i sure wasn't but here I am 3k words later, it's made up backstory time, so that’s expected
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 07:19:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14350623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monogramsalarm/pseuds/monogramsalarm
Summary: It wasn't until Taako asked that Kravitz realized he'd completely forgotten his full name. Not only that, he couldn't remember anything about who he was before the Raven Queen took him in.





	What's In a Name?

**Author's Note:**

> I was Feeling It and wanted to do my own take on Kravitz' backstory. This was the result of me sitting at my computer for 2 hours and getting overly excited about the idea.

“Hey, babe? I have a question for you.” Taako draped himself over Kravitz’ lap, who just chuckled and ran his fingers through Taako’s hair. They’d done basically nothing all day, which was always welcome in their household. More often than not, the two of them were always busy. They days where they could just stay in and enjoy each other had definitely become more meaningful than just attending yet another event where they had to be on the whole time. Relaxing together had become their favorite activity.

“What is it?” He examined Taako’s expression. He looked deep in thought, as if he just thought of something that his mind had been hinting around for a long time.

“We’ve been going out for… 2-ish years, I think. And I was really curious…” Taako sat up, smiling a little “Is Kravitz your first name or last name?”

“Oh, last name.” Kravitz smiled at him. “Kravitz doesn’t really seem like a first name, y’know?”

“Then… Wait, what’s your first name? And why the fuck don’t I know it already?” Taako raised an eyebrow in confusion. Kravitz paused, looking down as he tried to remember, to think way back to everything he’d pushed way down to the point of forgetting it.

“I… Fuck,” he shook his head. “Taako, I genuinely can’t remember my first name.” He noticed Taako still eyeing him and shrugged. “It’s been centuries since someone’s used it, I guess I just pushed it aside as not meaning anything anymore and forgot it.”

“Krav, it’s your name! Of course it means something!” Taako squeezed his hand. “Can you remember anything about your life before the Raven Queen?”

“Well, somewhat. Remember when I told you I wanted to be a conductor?” Taako nodded and Kravitz cracked a smile. “That’s about all I remember. But I loved everything music related and it became my life.”

“See, there’s something!” Taako nudged him. “What if I just give you a first name until you remember?” Kravitz snorted in response.

“Sure, hon. I’d love that.” He kissed Taako on the cheek, getting up off the couch. “Don’t you have a school event tonight?”

“Eh, it’s just a fuckin’ PTA thing that I have to go to. I can just show up in my pajamas, they don’t care. Ango and Ren will outsmart any of the parents who hate what’s going on in the school and I’ll sit back and drink wine,” He grinned, reaching for a pair of shoes.

“The strappy heels with the blue rubber duck pajama shorts? Bold fashion choice, babe.” Kravitz leaned down, kissing him.

“What can I say? I’m an innovator.” Taako snorted, pulling the shoes on and wrapping the blanket from the back of the couch around him like a shawl. Krav chuckled, stretching his arms and wrapping them around Taako.

“I’ll probably be in bed by the time you get home tonight. I have an early morning tomorrow, but feel free to wake me up to let me know you got home safe,” Kravitz rested his head on Taako’s shoulder from behind. Taako grinned, turning around, and stood on his toes to kiss Kravitz one more time.

“Oh, you know I will.” He grabbed his bag and headed towards the door. The minute it closed behind him, Kravitz slumped over onto the couch, letting himself feel stressed. What kind of person just leaves their name behind? Sure, he’d been with the Raven Queen for a few centuries, but he shouldn’t have just forgotten his life before it all happened… Right? Kravitz furrowed his brows, trying to remember something  _ anything _ about his life before bounty hunting for the Raven Queen. He pushed himself up off the couch and shuffled to the bedroom, flopping onto the bed. It would have to wait until the next morning, he could always ask the Raven Queen directly if he really needed to know. He didn’t even manage to take his shoes off, he just passed out on the bed before another thought. And while he was sleeping, everything seemed to come back to him.

~~~~

Kravitz walked down the street with a small basket, finding his favorite produce stand for his weekly groceries. The young half-orc woman, Genevieve, whose family had ran the farms just outside the city for years, smiled up at him, grabbing the usual amount of vegetables. They’d been best friends since childhood, and in the past few years he’d struck up a romantic relationship with her younger brother Erik. The three of them were usually inseparable. They grew up on adjacent farms, Genevieve and Erik’s parents growing the most delicious vegetables in all of Faerun while the Kravitz family apple and stonefruit orchards were the envy of all.

“Tonight’s the big night, huh Fletch?” He cracked a smile in response, nodding excitedly. “This concert’s gonna kick ass and you’re going to be the one leading it” Genevieve cheered.

“Yeah, I’m excited. You got the tickets, right, Gen? I want you and Erik to be there.” He traded a few coins for the groceries as she piled them into his basket.

“Of course! You just can’t forget us once you make it big.” She tucked the coins away under the table. “Once a pal, always a pal.” He grinned, looking around at the near empty street.

“Oh, like I could ever forget about you two.” He snorted. “Hey, is Erik around? I wanted to… Ask him something over dinner tonight.” His voice went soft as he toyed with the hem of his shirt nervously, biting his lip.

“Victor Fletcher Kravitz, are you going to ask my brother to marry you?!” She stood up quickly, nearly vaulting over the produce. He backed up, blushing deeply. “Fletch, nice going!” She hugged him and he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I just think it’s about time, y’know? I mean, there’s nothing I don’t know about him and vice versa. We’re both ready for the commitment.” Kravitz hugged her back. “Plus, I’m ready for you to be my official sister.” He picked up his basket. “Don’t tell him anything about the proposal, I wanna surprise him. I gotta get home and get ready, you’ll make sure he knows about dinner though, right?” She nodded repeatedly, seeming to bounce with excitement.

“I promise! We’ll be there, I’ll make sure he’s ready for dinner. Good luck, Victor,” Genevieve smiled. She only used his first name when she was being genuine. In this moment, it meant everything to him.

Later that evening, Kravitz tied his tie, pulling his hair back into a low ponytail. He tucked the small ring box into his pocket, patting his jacket to make sure he had his batons with him. He checked the pocket, then found a small folded note that he didn’t notice before. The neat handwriting read “Break a leg, Fletch. - Erik” and Kravitz found himself smiling, tucking it back into his pocket.

It had been ten years in the making and he was finally conducting a concert by himself. And in such a fancy outfit. Victor Kravitz was never one to be known for dressing up. He was more of the type to wear loose shirts with trousers, half the time not bothering to put shoes on. He made sure there were no scuff marks on the shoes and straightened his pocket square for the hundredth time, finally deeming himself ready to go. He had double checked the dinner reservations and had made sure everything would be perfect for that night. He had huge plans for his life, and that night was going to be his night to make sure they went through.

The bustling streets filled him with energy as he neared the concert hall. So many people were already lining up at the doors and he felt a bit of nerves kick in. He sighed, straightening his jacket as he looked both ways, then crossed the street. After that, everything seemed to be in slow motion. A scream, the sight of a carriage coming right towards him, and the instant dread that filled him when he realized he couldn’t get out of the way. Kravitz didn’t feel the carriage hit him, he just saw the blackness that followed.

~~~~

In another plane, Istus frowned at her knitting, surprised by the thread that she’d woven into the scarf. No, that wasn’t supposed to happen. The night wasn’t supposed to happen that way, but it was too late to change it at that point. She thought for a moment, then nodded to herself as she grabbed a black ball of yarn, tying it into the scarf. Editing his story to make him an agent of the Raven Queen, now that was something she could work with. Fate would continue how it was supposed to, and he would help keep the balance.

~~~~

Waking up at what seemed like days later threw him off. He quickly sat up, panic setting in at the realization that he probably missed the concert  _ and  _ dinner. Looking around at his surroundings, he began to get more and more confused. It didn’t look like a hospital room, or the street he’d fallen on, or even his small apartment in the city. He was surrounded by rocks, in some sort of valley or cave of sorts. He began to breathe heavily, not knowing what had happened to him. Just as he was about to fall into full-blown panic, a voice brought him back to the moment.

“I was worried you’d take much longer to come to, that was a nasty hit you took.” A deep woman’s voice called out to him and Kravitz rubbed his eyes, clambering to his feet. She stood in front of him, her arms crossed and her weight resting on one foot as she examined him. “Victor Fletcher Kravitz, huh?” The heels of her boots clicked as she began to walk around him, a long cape made of ebony feathers trailing behind her. He couldn’t tell if she was wearing an elaborate mask or if she had the actual head of a raven, but either way she got her point across: she wasn’t someone to be fucked with.

“Who are you? W-where am I?” He asked quietly, never tearing his eyes away from her.

“I thought that would be a little more obvious but hey, I can explain it.” She clapped her hands together and dark mist pooled around her ankles, only serving as a dramatic effect. “I’m the Raven Queen, goddess of death and the afterlife. And you, Victor F. Kravitz, are dead.” He felt his stomach drop and he backed away from her, shaking his head.

“No… No, I can’t be dead!” He cried, looking around desperately. “I-I had so much planned, I have to get a second chance at it!” She thought for a moment, looking him up and down again.

“Well, you get a second chance at living alright. Just not how you used to be.” The Raven Queen sighed. “You’re going to be one of my agents. Have you heard anything about the bounty hunters of the Raven Queen?” He shook his head in response. “Well, basically you guide spirits here and stop people trying upset the balance of life and death, especially necromancers and the like.”

“I didn’t sign up for this.” Kravitz looked at her. “Not to be disrespectful, but I had so much more going for me and working for you wasn’t something I dreamed about.”

“Oh, you didn’t sign up for it. But the goddess of fate signed you up after your accident betrayed what was supposed to happen.” She looked to him, holding out a hand with long, black fingernails. “Come on, Kravitz. I feel like you’ll have a real knack for bounty work.” He sighed, looking around and took her hand.

“It’s this or just straight up dying, isn’t it?” He shook his head. “Fine, just tell me what to do.”

~~~~

He’d lost track of time, but it seemed to only be a few weeks before he was ready for his first mission. He didn’t have much information aside from the fact that it was a necromancer trying to revive someone and their location. He pulled the hood of the black cloak tighter over his head, not feeling ready to go, but he knew that he needed to. Appearing at the location, he froze time except for the necromancer inside of the circle, not looking up from his thick tome.

“Alright, you’re in direct violation of the laws of life and death, et cetera, stop what you’re doing and state your case to the Raven Queen’s order.” He scanned, trying to find the accused’s name in the long list in front of him.

“.... Victor? Fletch, i-is that you?” His heart skipped a beat at the voice, finally looking up at the person he was confronting. The young half-orc man who looked back at him looked exhausted and broken, like Kravitz had never seen him before. It was as if Erik had aged a few years in just a couple of short weeks. Kravitz quickly clenched his jaw, looking back to the tome and panicked, thinking of a way to conceal his identity.

“Nope, got the wrong guy, sorry ‘bout that, guv.” Kravitz did a poor imitation of an accent he’d only heard a couple of times. It was stupid, but he was stuck with that now. “I’m only gonna ask you one more time, state your case.” He pulled his hood down, further concealing his face.

“I… I know it’s you, Victor, I’m not stupid.” Erik slowly stood up. “I know you too well, you can’t just do a new voice and expect me to not know you.” He took a few steps towards him. “I know you’re dead, but please just talk to me.” Kravitz pulled his hood off, squeezing his eye shut so he didn’t have to see Erik’s expression upon realizing that half his face was skeletal.

“What do you want me to say, Erik? I got hit by some fucking carriage that wasn’t supposed to be there, I-I woke up dead, and I got thrown into something bigger than I can understand.” He finally looked Erik in the eye, seeing the heartbreak in his expression. “I wanted nothing more than to just go back and see you, to finally ask you to marry me like I planned!” Erik’s eyes widened, not having known what his plan was that night.

“Fletch, you wanted to…” He trailed off, his voice breaking. Kravitz wiped a tear away, nodding as he looked around at the room.

“Yeah, and I wanted to be able to live the rest of my days happy because they’d be with you. But something got fucked up along the way a-and now I have to live like this forever.” He bit his lip, turning around. “You should leave, Erik. I don’t want to throw you in the eternal stockade, just don’t…” He sighed deeply. “Don’t try to bring me back again.” Opening up a rift, Kravitz stepped through, not looking back. He couldn’t. If Erik asked him, he would have bent the rules and stayed. But it was too late for them.

Kravitz never told anyone else his name. He couldn’t hear it on anyone else’s tongue, it just felt _wrong._ And after a while, he wouldn’t even let himself say it and it just got lost to time, as did his memories as he pushed them away. He never looked another bounty in the eyes. He couldn’t let himself get attached in any way to them, anything other than business would be too much. And he didn’t, until an incident in a crystallized laboratory when one of his bounties asked him his name, catching him completely off guard. And then he let himself get attached again.

~~~~

Kravitz woke with a start, feeling the bed dip down beside him. He didn’t realize he was breathing heavily until he heard Taako’s gentle breathing beside him.

“Relax, babe, just me. You can go back to sleep, I know you have an early shift.” Taako snuggled against him. Kravitz slowly wrapped an arm around him, realizing how much his hands were shaking. “Hey, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare or somethin’ Krav?” Taako looked up at him.

“No, I just…” Kravitz sighed. “I’ll explain tomorrow. It’s too much to get into right now.” He pulled their blankets up higher, knowing that Taako liked it when his head was nearly covered by the blankets in what he called a “warm cave,” which was the cutest thing Kravitz had heard.

“Whatever works for you, I don’t wanna push you on it.” Taako kissed his cheek and snuggled down further into the blankets. They both lay in silence for a while before Kravitz pulled him closer.

“It’s… Victor.” He finally admitted quietly. “I-I remembered everything, my first name is Victor.” Taako sat up suddenly, grinning at him.

“Your nerd ass is named Victor? I fucking love that, babe!” He snuggled back down, wrapping his arms around him. “Victor…” He repeated softly and Kravitz felt a sort of relief that he didn’t realize he needed. He hadn’t heard his name spoken since his first bounty. But knowing someone else knew it, someone who couldn’t leave him or be taken from him, it gave him such relief. He didn’t have to be scared of giving someone else his name.

“Taako, you know how much I love you, right?” Kravitz murmured softly.

“‘Course I do… It’s how much I love you.” Taako smiled sleepily. “Cuz I love you more than anything else in the world.” Kravitz chuckled, kissing his head as he closed his eyes.

“That’s exactly how much I love you.” He started to drift off to sleep, realizing he lost the former life he’d wanted, but he had the one he truly needed and deserved. One where he didn’t have to sacrifice anything, he was free to just exist with the one he loved. That was the life that he worked toward for centuries, and it was the one he earned.


End file.
